Lime like a Trini

Looking for a place to stay in the sister isle? Whether you're planning for a packed out weekend at the annual Great Fete or just getting away for some peaceful  relaxation, the Sheperd's Inn is an ideal place for you vacation in Tobago as it's only a 10 minute drive from the airport. The surrounding log cabins come with luxurious beds and toilet and bath. There's a on site restaurant (Betsy's Hope Restaurant) that serves breakfast, lunch and dinner but if you're feeling adventurous there are many food places nearby. At night, the restaurant has live entertainment from local singers and even offers karaoke night. The restaurant overlooks a large swimming pool where guests can relax while enjoying the live entertainment. The Inn offers attractive packages for large families wanting to rent all 20 of their cabins (they do so for weddings or birthday parties) as well as couple packages for an intimate getaway.  The Inn was refurbished from

If it's one event that pulls many Trinibagonians and tourists alike to the small sister isle of Tobago is the annual Great Fete Weekend and Carib Great Race in Heritage Park, Pigeon Point, Tobago. Usually the fete (known as the longest weekend in the word) last for 5 days, July 26 to 30, and involves a lot of vibes, alcohol, sun, sand and sea. (Only in this country we could party for five days like it's nothing!) The fetes are usually at night at Heritage Park and The Shade nightclub. Pack your comfy shoes and island wear as you will be in for exciting nights dancing to reggae and island pop and of course soca music.  During the day, attendees can relax at the beaches, soak up the sun or partake in tourist activities. Tobago is known for its laid back culture and glistening beaches so be sure to check them out during you stay! Take a look at what happened last year: If you're still in the party mood, why not stay for the annual Carib great rac

The Trinidad and Tobago Film festival is a robust accumulation of local and international short films and full length movies that appeal to all. Personally, I've been attending these festivals since our school at CAPE level suggested we view the screenings for the French and Spanish movies to help with our accents and fluency. To date, it's still an event I eagerly await and attend. The film festival has a strong presence at the University of the West Indies St. Augustine Campus as many aspiring local screenwriters and actors follow the festival closely in partnership with the Centre for Language Learning (CLL). The local films tackle many cultural issues, current and past issues that sough to shape the country we know today in addition to emerging issues that affect the diaspora.  The other foreign language films give the viewer a new perspective on cultures and issues worldwide. (They are accompanied by subtitles, so no worries). However, don't expect your us

Ting a ling a ling, school a bell ring! Popularized by dancehall artist Shabba Ranks in 1993 was a common song to hear during recess at primary school. (Mind you, if my mother only know I was listening to these kinds of songs when I was a a child, I woulda get a cut tail!) Most of these snacks still remain in tuck shops and school parlours and many have been discontinued and re-introduced throughout the years. Now we're not talking about local handmade snacks like Tamarind ball, Coconut fudge, Bene Ball (Tobago) and sugar cake, even though those were available in parlours as well. This post will focus on the sugary, chocolate covered, salted, preserves and ice cream that I remember saving my allowance to buy on a weekly basis. Let's start with my favourite:  Chocolate Digestive- a delicious wheatmeal biscuit covered in milk chocolate. If you all remember well the original packaging used to be white and brown before they switched to purple and only costed 50 cent

Hidden in the northern Blanchisseuse Road is the breathtaking Avocat Waterfall. Forming part of the Marianne River, the journey starts at the Spring Bridge and takes a 20 minute uphill ascent to the ridge and gradually descends to the river. The falls itself is roughly 50 feet high and cascades down into refreshing green pools where hikers can relax and cool off.    Upon returning there are two options; hike down the same trail or swim down the river for an exciting experience. Due to the naturally occurring rocks and water they form large basins to bathe in and huge protruding rocks to jump off of.  Along the way hikers can admire the flora and fauna that have remained relatively untouched since the area only got a paved main road in 1931. Prior to that, the only way to get to Blanchisseuse was via a ferry. While the road is a bit bumpy, it's not terrible to drive through and maxi taxi buses drive along the road with ease. The area itself remains quite sim

A lime, a party, a get together, a small brang or a big one.   Ah yes. Friday reach, man tired but ready to lime. By now you know, trinis love to lime. We love we belly too, so naturally we would only show up if there's either alcohol or food. Worse yet if it's a family lime, there's no restrictions on behaviour and portions! Last Saturday my friends and I met up just because we hadn't seen each other in a while. We all pitched in for drinks and food and set up a little area on the patio (yes, outside they say when the cold breeze hitting yuh, yuh does get sober). The menu for the night was curried chicken and dhalpuri (roti stuffed with ground seasoned split peas) and of course we had some snacks in between (I'll do another post on trini snacks, look out for this!). A designated bartender was chosen along with a DJ and the party start. As the evening passed, everyone starting giving accounts of their day or week chatting away like close friends

The June Discover Me artist of the month, Aaron Ifill took the bandstand in June for an energetic performance in MovieTowne's busy Fiesta Plaza. The plaza was packed to capacity despite getting there at a reasonable Trini time (one hour late of course). Lots of neighbouring restaurants offered us and other patrons seats inside but no one wanted to miss out on the live performances by Mr. Ifill.  He started with a couple of cover songs from the latest chart hits and by the first chorus the crowd was singing and dancing along to his hearty renditions of Bruno Mars and David Guetta. The crowd simmered down for the artist's original song "I'll let you" and according to Aaron himself, it's a song that everyone can connect with as it describes the rite of passage in every person's life.  I didn't get to record pieces of his original song due to the organizers giving me stern looks and asking me to put away my phone (I guess beca

Photo by Tarique Eastman. Here I had the absolute pleasure of visiting this marvelous site recently and my only regret is leaving my phone in the car (in case I dropped it into the ocean) as there were many breathtaking views of the Atlantic and Caribbean ocean. Completed in October of 1867 and then officially opened in 1897, the lighthouse today is a sublime park and picnic area to relax with loved ones or family.  Incidentally historians believe Punta Galera now Galera point was a slight corruption of the word galea which was given to the southern Galetota Point by Christopher Columbus. The name stuck even though it was given accidentally and now remains a popular outdoor destination.   Situated just 35km away from the sister isle of Tobago, Toco traditionally was unsuitable for sugar cane production unlike many parts of the country. However, it did prove to be suitable for cotton production. At the time there were no main roads connecting the district and

North West of the island of Trinidad are some small islands that are popular attraction spots for locals and tourists alike. Fondly known as a trip Down de Islands (DDI) there is lots to do and see. Whilst there are many little islands on the coast, one of the most exciting is the Gasparee Caves on Gaspar Grande Island. The caves were formed by years of acid rain and limescale buildup that display large stalactites and stalagmites hidden around a mysterious pool of water. Swimming in the pools are prohibited but those lucky to be given a bligh (chance) by accompanying tour guides can dive in the cool, clear waters and gaze upon the natural limestone figures. Being one of the larger islands, forming part of the Bocas islands which lie in the Bocas del dragon between Trinidad and Venezuela, there are recreational facilities and food available for sale. However I suggest packing extra snacks just in case even though boats frequent in and out the island the Bocas seas get rough w

 Photo by: Globetrotting Stilleto One of the first things that come to mind when you think of Trinidad is its Carnival season. While the event itself lasts only two days, it involves heavy preparation and pre parties (fetes) til the day masqueraders cross the stage in their costumes wining, drinking (apparently, many alcohol connoisseurs agree we have the best rum) and soaking up the Caribbean sun.   Photo by: Globetrotting Stilleto Many Carnival go-ers steadily prepare for the days with rigorous exercise and strict dietary regimens to look their best in their costumes. (It always ends up with them bussing up a box of KFC on Ash Wednesday) From as early as July - August in the previous year, Carnival bands host fetes to release the costumes for the public while still being able to lime and party before the big days. Some popular bands are; Tribe, Fantasy, YUMA, Bliss, Harts and many more. The prices vary between 200-1000 USD and yes they sell out quickly!  Even

On Saturday 8th July scores of people flocked to the Queen's Park Savannah to partake in the first ever Bessfest. A display of foods and snacks local to Trinidad and Tobago as well as many honorable international mentions. As a foodie, this was definitely an event I didn't want to miss. Admission was free and there were so many stalls to choose from I had to strategize a game plan. I definitely wanted to get to the places I've never tried before and if there was room in my belly, some old favourites. First off, Hashi Ramen. Apparently this ramen place was creating a lot of buzz with Naruto fans as its a pun on a character called Hashirama. (I don't know if he was a fan of ramen or not but there seemed to be a lot of excited patrons) The line was pretty long, they made everything as customers ordered but the wait was definitely worth it. Delicious and filling with fresh ingredients and seasonings. I can't wait til they open an outlet as they p